Rovio is launching an animated Angry Birds series this weekend, turning its popular apps into more than just a gaming franchise.

Rovio is launching an animated Angry Birds series this weekend, turning its popular apps into more than just a gaming franchise.

The first episode of Angry Birds Toons will be shown on Saturday, 16 March on TV or Sunday, 17 March through the Angry Birds app, which has been downloaded a whopping 1.7 million times.

The series will feature 52 episodes, with a new one released each week. The cartoon will show on regional TV stations throughout the world, including FOX8 in Australia, JEI TV in Korea, ANTV in Indonesia, Cartoon Network in India, MTV 3 Juniori and MTV3 in Finland, Children's Channel in Israel, 1+1 Networks in Ukraine, Gulli and Canal J in France, SUPER RTL in Germany, TV2 in Norway, Canal 13 in Chile, and Gloob in Brazil.

Rovio has teamed up with Comcast to offer access to the cartoon on Xfinity on Demand, the Xfinity TV Player app, Samsung Smart TVs, and soon Roku set-top boxes. More platforms will be announced in time. The gaming studio has also teamed up with Activision, Paramount Pictures, BlackBerry, and Sony Pictures for the launch.

We've already got to know some of the cast of the cartoons, having flung them to their doom countless times, but we'll get a more personal look at their lives and personalities. There is Red, Chuck, Bomb, Matilda, Terence, and the Blues. And let's not forget the Pigs.

“We want to combine the feel of cartoon classics with modern twists on an unprecedented scale. Our team has been working tremendously hard to once again delight our fans with a new way to experience these loveable characters,” said Nick Dorra, Head of Animation at Rovio.